Standoff
by sablecain
Summary: the third story in the 'my beloved/Kara' quartet. Stands alone but helps to have read the first two. JD agrees to go on a retreat weekend with Casey and ends up in trouble that no one could have predicted! It'll take Ezra's undercover talent and the team working together to save JD and Casey!
1. Chapter 1

This is the third story in the "My Beloved/Kara" Quartet. It is a bit of a standalone in the story arc but it helps to have read the first two to understand some of what is happening in this one. Again- this is a story written about 14 years ago. I've tried to correct some of the more glaring mistakes as I get it back online but what I've missed- all my fault! Hope you enjoy.

(The mag7 characters belong to MGM, Trilogy and Mirisch, no copyright infringement is intended with their use.)

Part 1

ATF agent, Chris Larabee sat in his office gazing out at the city's skyline. Dotted with snow, and assaulted by wind, winter had set in early and now, a month into the season, the once pristine whiteness looked muddled and gray.

Chris leaned back in his chair and gingerly touched his bandaged chest wincing at the combination of pain and memories that flooded his consciousness. 'Kara,' he thought frowning. What had started as a natural act for any law enforcement officer, saving her from what he'd thought was an attempted assault, had turned into an attack on his entire team. The nightmare had ended only after Kara had kidnapped him and then plunged over the edge of a cliff trying to escape from him and the others chasing her. The first major snow had hit that same week making it impossible for rescue teams to search for her body. It still frustrated him to have to wait until spring for closure but his team continued to encourage him. In time they would find her body.

His team. He smiled thinking of the men he considered friends and family, rather then just agents he commanded. He'd chosen the six men himself, designing a well organized team he knew would be the best. He hadn't counted on how much they would end up meaning to him. The rest of the local teams had nicknamed them the Magnificent 7, and though he shrugged the title off, inside he felt a bit of pride at the nickname.

"Chris?" A voice at the door brought him quickly to the present.

"Yeah?" Running a hand through his blond hair, he turned his attention toward the door. "Come on in JD."

JD Dunne was the youngest member of his team. He was always full of energy, keeping the rest of them chronically envious.

"You doing okay?" JD nodded towards Chris' chest, his eyes taking in the hand that still lingered there.

He was glad that Chris had elected for the plastic surgery to fix the burn he'd received when kidnapped. Even though the doctor had predicted he would always have a scar, at least now it wouldn't be such a blatant reminder of what had happened. Chris had just returned to work the day before, after having the surgery over the previous weekend.

"I'm fine JD," Chris leaned forward randomly sorting papers on his desk. "What do you need?" He could read the slight nervousness in the way JD carried himself as he stepped further into the office.

"I was wondering if I could ask for two extra days off this weekend." JD casually slumped into the leather chair opposite Chris' desk and fiddled with the cast on his wrist.

"That would probably work, what do you need it for?"

JD sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, as he shifted uncomfortable in his chair. He'd been hoping Chris would say no to his request.

"JD?"

"Casey got two passes to the Perkins retreat center and wants me to go with her. I guess her psychology professor runs the place or something, but she really wants me to go with her." JD rattled off his explanation quickly, barely breathing between words. His black hair fell across his eyes and he pushed it back in one fluid motion continuing, "I don't really want to go, but it means so much to Casey and I don't want Buck or the guys giving me a hard time about being whipped or anything."

Chris started laughing softly, holding up his hand in an effort to get JD to calm down and breath. His owns thoughts raced to yet another memory, this time of Sarah dragging him to a weekend getaway that ended up being a couple's communication seminar. He'd been furious at first, but once he saw how important it had been to Sarah he settled in and paid attention. Of course, the only thing he could remember from the entire thing was the speaker telling them they had to treat their mates like they were a violin, some precious rare violin, strata something. Anyway that was long ago and Sarah was gone now.

"JD your secret is safe with me. Go, it might turn out to be good for you. If anyone asks, I'll tell them you had a romantic weekend planned."

JD's face erupted in a huge grin, as he jumped up, his energy renewed. "Thanks Chris!" Some how he felt better about going with Casey now.

"Sure, when do you get the cast off?" Chris asked curiously. JD was one of three members of his team still dealing with injuries from their run in with "psycho bitch," as Buck had started referring to Kara.

"Comes off in two weeks! I can't wait. It itches something fierce!" JD grimaced, sticking a finger of his good hand as far down into the cast as possible as he headed out to his desk.

Chris returned to his paperwork. He needed to read over Ezra and Vin's reports from a case they just finished. A shadow crossed the room as the sun went behind a cloud. Something unidentifiable pulled at his mind and an uneasy feeling swept over him. "Shake it off, Larabee," he told himself and picked up a report to read.

* * *

JD plopped down in his chair and gave it a spin catching himself before the rush of dizziness propelled him off the seat. He grinned at Buck, who sat across from him staring questioningly, shrugged, and began to work on his computer trying to finish up some research before it was time to go.

"How do you do it?" Buck asked his words slightly slurred, but understandable.

"Do what?" JD looked up at him.

"Have so much energy all of the time?" He was still amazed that his young roommate was always on the go. Even his broken wrist had failed to slow him down, or kept him from going out and purchasing a new motorcycle just like the totaled one. Buck cringed at the thought, but knew his worry was misplaced. JD was a safe rider, at least now since the accident he wore his helmet all the time.

JD grinned mischievously, cocking his head to the side. "I don't know Buck, how do you manage to keep talking all the time even with your jaw wired closed?"

He laughed and jumped back wards, as Buck lunged over the desktops grabbing at him.

"Will you two hooligans please refrain from such unprofessional displays of action so that your peers can attempt some level of concentration and retain our employment?" Ezra pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked across his desk to Vin and sighed heavily. He was ready for a weekend.

JD still keeping out of Buck's reach looked at the southerner. "What?"

"He said you two cut it out or we'll all get fired," Nathan piped up from his corner of the large office.

"Thank you Mr. Jackson." Ezra smiled and turned back to his work.

"Come on Ez, it's Friday! Loosen up." JD sat back down at his desk, as Buck waved him off. Buck had become accustomed to the teasing about his jaw. He only reacted like it bothered him. He certainly didn't mind the extra attention from the ladies around the building, but he was counting the days until the wires were off and he could actually chew his food again instead of having to sip everything through a straw.

"Yes Mr. Dunne it is Friday, but unless I finish my work I'll be unable to enjoy..." his voice trailed off as he looked towards the office door. His, "What are you doing here?" caught everybody off guard, and they all turned to see who was there. "Josiah!" A chorus of voices cried in unison, followed by laughter, as they realized they sounded like the characters of an old TV sitcom. There was a bunch of sheepish grins, and light back slapping, as the big man was welcomed. Chris came out of his office at the commotion.

"What are you doing here?" Nathan asked his medical training and instincts jumping into full swing. He knew that the doctor preferred that Josiah stay home for four to six weeks since his release from the hospital. It had been three.

"Easy Brother Nate," Josiah's deep voice boomed, "I couldn't stand that house one minute longer today, so I decided to venture over." He focused his clear eyes on Chris, "I'm coming back on Monday."

"Doctor okay it?" Chris asked concerned. Josiah was recovering quickly from the bullet wound but Chris was adamant that he didn't take chances. It was bad enough Buck and JD were still not up to par, he didn't want to worry about Josiah too.

"He will," Josiah grinned. "Light work only," he assured them. All of them knew the frustration of being laid up and the impatience of waiting for one's own body to heal.

Chris smiled then. "Alright, Monday it is," he glanced at his watch it was 4:30. "Let's get out of here."

"Alright!" JD whooped and Ezra cringed rubbing his ear as he stepped out of the younger agent's way.

Vin laughed, "How about going to Inez's?" He referred to the saloon the agents frequented together, "to celebrate Josiah's return."

"Sounds great," Nathan voiced his agreement to the plan as the other's nodded.

"I can't make it, but you guys have fun. I'll see you Tuesday, Buck." JD slipped out the door and down the hall before anyone could question him.

"Tuesday?" Buck asked questioningly. "Where the hell is he going?" He turned to Chris.

Chris just shrugged and tried not to smile. "Maybe he's got a romantic weekend planned."

"Well good for the kid," Buck grinned and grabbed his coat to follow his friends out of the office.

* * *

JD had just finished throwing clothes for the weekend into a duffel bag, when he heard Casey's knock on the apartment door.

"Come on in!" He yelled looking for a pair of shoes. He smiled as Casey opened the door and entered stepping over a pile of mail he'd tossed onto the floor when he came in. His heart raced a bit at the sight of her. She was dressed comfortably in jean and a university sweatshirt and she was beautiful.

"Should I take sneakers or hiking boots?" he asked holding up one of each.

"Hiking boots," Casey replied with out hesitation. She grinned shaking her head as she bent to pick up the mail. "How many catalogs do you guys subscribe to?" She asked stacking the pile precariously on an already overflowing end table.

"I lost count awhile ago," he admitted as he sat down to lace up his boots. "How long is it going to take to get to this place anyway?"

"This place, as you call it, is called the Perkins Retreat Center." Casey sat down next to him leaning close. "And if you knew how respected Professor Perkins is you'd know what an honor it is that we've been invited to sit in on his sessions for the weekend." She nuzzled his ear lightly, her long dark hair tickling his neck.

"Arrrhh," JD growled playfully and wrapped his arms around her pulling her even closer and kissing her deeply. "Now that was an honor," he whispered as their eyes met.

"JD!" She slapped him lightly at the invitation in his eyes and jumped up after kissing him again. "We have to go or we won't get there by 7."

"You are such a tease," he called after her running a hand over his flushed face. She drove him crazy and he wouldn't trade the feeling for anything in this world.

Casey turned at the door, "Yeah well if we don't get there before they close the gates for the night, you won't have to worry about being teased for awhile," her message delivered she grinned mischievously. "I'll be waiting in the car."

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" JD laughed, scooped up his duffel bag, keys and cell phone and rushed out the door after her.

* * *

Casey pulled off the paved surface onto the dirt and steered the car carefully along the mountain road. "The gate should be..." Her voice trailed off as she searched the wooded area. "There!" She pointed at a dimly lit sign, and turned into the gravel drive.

"Not very big," JD muttered, as they stopped next to a small shack with a sign labeling it "Information." From the size of the man that stepped out of the tiny building JD wondered if it should have been called the guard shack.

Casey ignored JD and handed the guard their passes. He smiled amiably and stepped back into the building.

"What's he doing?" JD asked, fidgeting nervously.

"Shh, I don't know, just relax," Casey said, laying a hand on his thigh to take some of the bite out of her command. She was nervous too for some reason.

JD covered her hand with his, surprised at its coldness. Her hands were always so cold.

The man returned to the car introducing himself as Mike and returned the passes to Casey. "You're rooms are in the main lodge, rooms 7 and 8," he smiled in at JD. "Hope you both enjoy the weekend." He quickly directed them on how to find the lodge.

"Thank you," Casey nodded and pulled forward through the gate, following Mike's directions. "See," she said. "He was just looking up where we're staying."

Once inside the front gate JD eyed the campus suspiciously. It was well lit and neatly manicured exuding a comfortable feeling. He tried to relax as he watched other campers and retreat visitors milling around the grounds. He smiled as a group of small children ran by laughing. The main lodge was a huge log cabin. Casey was already pulling bags out of the back seat, as he slowly stood and stretched. Grimacing he grabbed a ruler off the dashboard and slid it down into his cast reaching an itch that had been bothering him for a while. 'Everyone seems friendly enough,' he thought to himself. He still didn't know exactly what this whole retreat center was about, but like he told Chris, it was important to Casey.

"Casey! Glad you made it!" A voice boomed from behind him and JD turned to see a middle aged man with graying hair, take Casey's outstretched hand, and pull her into a quick hug.

"Professor Perkins." Casey's face was aglow and even though he felt a pang of jealousy, JD could see how much she looked up to this man. 'Kind of like how I see Chris,' he imagined. He tossed the forgotten ruler back into the car and closed the door. Casey was bringing the man toward him.

"Professor, this is my boy friend JD Dunne."

"Nice to meet you JD." Perkins shook JD's good hand, his gaze falling on the one wrapped in a cast.

"Motorcycle accident," JD explained, somewhat uncomfortably. "Nice to meet you too."

"Ahh," the older man nodded his head with an empathy that made the agent wonder if he'd ever been in a similar accident. Before he could ask though, the man began speaking again. "I'll let Casey and you find your rooms and then I'll see you in the dining hall for evening session."

JD's eyebrows rose at the word session but he smiled and nodded and followed Casey into the lodge after he took their bags from her. He was doing this for her, he reminded himself. "You okay?" He asked.

"This is great!" She smiled and kissed him. "Lets go find our rooms."

He followed her through the lobby, past the fireplace and wondered for all the hominess, why he felt uncomfortable here. He often picked on the guys at work, Ezra and Vin especially, for their intuition and tendencies to make decisions based on hunches and feelings. He'd joke and ask if their "spidey senses" were going off. Buck had actually picked up on the term and used it occasionally now too. Mostly when he thought he was going to get shot down by a girl. "Should of known," he'd say afterwards. "The spidey senses were going." As JD opened the unlocked door to room 7 and glanced over to see Casey enter the room next door, he wondered if what he was feeling was his own "spidey senses." He couldn't put his finger on anything specific being wrong. He just had a very uneasy feeling.

* * *

Chris groaned and turned on the light by his bed, as he slammed a hand in the direction of his alarm clock. He finally connected with the contraption and turned it off. He hated Mondays. He'd spent the weekend at home recovering from the impromptu party Friday night. He didn't usually drink that much anymore, but Friday he'd managed to get intoxicated to the point where it was late Saturday afternoon before he could even consider getting out of bed. He still couldn't remember how he got home but knew when Vin showed up with his truck that Vin had taken care of him.

Groaning again, he crawled out of bed, and made his way to the shower. After a shower, he poured himself a hot cup of coffee, and sipped at it as he waited for his shirt to iron out in the dryer. He hated ironing and still smiled at the memory of Sarah's exasperated sigh, when he tried to sneak out of the house one morning, in a wrinkled shirt. She'd taken his shirt, and using a spray bottle, misted it with water lecturing him, as she then tossed the thing in the dryer.

"Five minutes Chris, that's all it takes, and you don't have to iron it, but please don't go out wrinkled!"  
He'd been thinking of Sarah a lot lately he realized, taking another sip of coffee. God he missed her and Adam. He shook his head and flipped on the television listening to the local weather report for a distraction.

By the time Chris entered the office, he'd pushed his memories aside, and was ready to face the day. His team came in slowly, and quietly at first. Once the first cups of coffee were passed out, talk picked up, ranging from Friday night's party, to how they'd spent the rest of the weekend. It was good to hear Josiah's voice among the fray. Chris had missed the gentle man's quieting presence. He was about to say welcome back when his attention was diverted to another man entering the office. He recognized him immediately as Matt Daring, leader of team five. He frowned at the agent's serious demeanor. It didn't look like a social call.

"Morning Larabee," Daring nodded. "We need to talk." He moved unbidden into Chris' office and Chris followed, shrugging at the curious looks from his team members.

"Wonder what that's about?" Buck asked, as Chris closed his office door.

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough." Ezra sipped his cappuccino and settled in at his desk.

45 minutes later Chris' door opened. "Conference!" Chris said gruffly heading toward the room just off from their offices. Daring followed with an armload of files.

"Oh dear," Ezra whispered, noting the striking mood change in Chris as he followed the others into the next room.

Chris stood looking out the window, his back to the others, as they took various seats around the long table. His posture announced his anger, and obvious frustration, as he turned to face his men. "Daring's team has been compromised on the case they were currently working on. We have to take it over. Matt will fill you in."

Six men turned their eyes on agent Daring waiting for him to begin. Thankfully he was confident in their respect for him, he cut right to the chase. "All right, thanks Chris," he began handing out files. "The case focused on the Perkins Retreat Center. Place is run by a professor Mark Perkins. Nice gentleman, very charismatic, has doctorate in psychology to boot. Also suspected of stock piling about every different illegal firearm you can name, plus a few you can't, on his compound."

"Compound?" Josiah felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise.

Daring nodded. "His retreat center is located a little less than an hour from here. He runs it like a campground, inviting folks in for various counseling sessions and seminars. Appeals to a wide demographic, but focuses on young college or fresh out of college kids. Young families too. Has a small group living on the grounds year round."

"Are we talking about another Waco here?" Buck asked skimming over the information in front of him.

"We're talking about avoiding another Waco here, Mr. Wilmington," Daring answered seriously. "Sounds like a basic enough case, I know. We had a man on the inside until late this last week. "

"What happened?" Vin asked, knowing from Chris' steely expression, that something was very wrong.

"His cover was blown when someone saw him rooting around in Perkin's office. Perkin's called him on it in one of his infamous counseling sessions. Seems he denied everything, but the camper who saw him, folded immediately when questioned about the incident in front of everyone. Perkins, being 'Non-violent,' as he claims," Daring emphasized the words bitterly, "had our man taken out and abandoned in the woods, but not before making sure he was tied securely to a tree. That was Friday afternoon. Saturday morning we got an anonymous call telling us where we could find him."

There was an eerie silence for a few moments as the agents processed this information. "Did he survive?" Nathan asked finally.

"So far," Daring nodded sadly rubbing the back of his neck. He hadn't slept since the call came in Saturday. "They still aren't sure if he'll lose some toes, but they were able to save all his fingers. Exposure and pneumonia," he explained.

"Damn," Buck whispered.

"We need to get back in as soon as possible. He found out, before he was tossed out, that as of Friday Perkins wasn't letting anyone out of the campground."

"He's holding his own people hostage?" Vin asked.

Daring nodded again. "They don't know it yet. The weekend session ends tomorrow afternoon, that's when we think he's going to play his cards and lock the gates."

"What if they insist on leaving?" Buck questioned next.

"Most of them won't even try." Daring admitted. "This man redefines charismatic and the manipulation techniques he uses rival any I've ever heard of before. He won't hurt them until he's confident he can't control them at all. Then he'll make them disappear like he did our man."

"Won't it look suspicious sending someone in now after he's decided nobody leaves?" Buck didn't like the sound of this case at all.

"Not if we get them in before tomorrow afternoon and no one tries to get out before then…Problem, unfortunately, is not with getting in. If the cover is good enough, he'll let you in, but you have to be one of the best."

All eyes seemed to simultaneously fall on Ezra. He grinned confidently. "Should I take this as a compliment?"

Daring smiled, "Depends on how you look at it, Agent Standish," he nodded to Chris, who had remained serious during the exchange.

"There's another problem, a bigger problem." Chris leaned forward preparing himself for the next few minutes. Once he was sure he had everyone's attention he continued. "JD is inside."

"What?" Buck's head jerked up with surprise, and he grimaced, as he strained his jaw. Nathan put a hand on his arm in an effort to calm him.

"What do you mean JD is already inside?" Ezra's accent seemed to deepen with his level of concern.

Chris took a deep breath. "Seems Perkins is Casey's professor. He invited her and JD up to the retreat center for the weekend. Neither of them know anything about him or the case."

"Which means if JD decides to share what he does for a living..." Buck's eyes met Chris'. "Perkins could find out he's ATF and have him killed."

"Well then, gentlemen. " Ezra stood, his voice calm and confident but didn't mask the worry in his green eyes. "Let's figure out a way to get me inside before that can happen."

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2

JD fidgeted restlessly as he tried to listen to the smooth voice of Mark Perkins.

"The point, my friends, in learning to be open and honest with each other and yourself, is to create an environment of peace and harmony. Yes, there will always be conflict, but with the right avenues to work though that conflict, the ultimate can be achieved. Our goal here at the center is to create a community in which this type of interaction is the norm. What begins with us reaches the world at large."

JD glanced at Casey as the professor droned on. She sat in rapt attention, jotting down notes and nodding in agreement with Perkins' statements. Inwardly he groaned and looked at his watch for the thousandth time. He felt so out of place here. 24 more hours of this stuff and they'd be on their way home. He couldn't believe he'd already spent two days here. It felt like an eternity. He looked at Casey again trying not to be jealous of the attention she was devoting to Perkins. She seemed to dote on his every word even between seminars and sessions. Everyone here did and it made JD question if there was something wrong with him. Maybe he just hadn't paid enough attention in his psychology courses to get into this.

JD looked up realizing that people were moving around. Perkins' assistants were helping put chairs in a large circle. "Oh hell," he whispered, another blasted session. He felt like he'd go insane if he had to listen to another person spill their life story in front of the group. Not to mention he was tired of hearing rich people whine. He'd never been among so many wealthy young college students in his life. Must be nice to be born with the proverbial silver spoon.

At moments during the last two days he'd wished for his gun. At least that way he could put himself out of his misery, maybe take a few of these folks with him.

"Come on JD." Casey grabbed his good hand pulling him towards the imposing circle. He let himself be led to a chair and smiled absently at the thin, dark haired man who sat next to him.

"Isn't this the most wonderful weekend?" The man's eyes seemed to shine brighter as he spoke.

"Sure," JD tried to politely shrug the man off, realizing he was the man who'd broke down in tears yesterday afternoon when Perkins had plied him with questions about his failed marriage and overbearing parents. JD had to admit the man looked like he felt better now, but didn't understand how.

Mark Perkins was walking around the circle now, patting a shoulder here and there. Getting people settled so he could begin. Casey looked at JD and smiled. `She does remember I'm here,' he thought, reaching for her hand. He intertwined his fingers with hers and squeezed lightly. She returned the affection before letting go and turning her attention back to Perkins. JD sighed. He could feel his heart beat speed up as Perkins began wandering around the circle talking softly. It was like a deranged game of duck, duck, goose to JD. Perkins would circle them all and then place his hand on someone's shoulder asking them to sit in the lone chair in the center. JD held his breath every time praying this would not be his time. Perkins was getting closer to him and Casey and talking about the importance of honesty with the group repeating his theme, "What begins with us reaches the world at large." JD was so sick of that saying.

"JD" He felt the hand on his shoulder and wished for the ground to open up and swallow him whole.  
"You've been awfully quiet this weekend. I think it's time we learn a little more about you."

"I'd rather not." JD tried to be polite as his voice wavered.

"JD!" He felt Casey poke him. "Come on." She looked shocked that he would even consider saying no.

"It would mean a lot to Casey I see." Perkins smiled down at him.

"I know, I just..." he paused looking at the floor. 'calm yourself Dunne,' he thought, 'you've handled worse situations than this before.'

"Don't you care about Casey?"

His head jerked up at the professor's question, anger flooding him. "Of course I do."

"Then show her you'll do anything for her." Perkins motioned to the center chair again.

"She knows I'd do anything for her," JD's voice was sharp now. He didn't like being manipulated.

"Does She?"

Casey was watching him expectantly. He had no choice now, and he could taste his anger towards this man. Stiffly he rose from his chair and made his way to the lone chair in the middle of the circle. He felt the eyes of the world on him, even though there were only 30 some people here. His eyes locked with Perkins' as he took his seat.

"Thank you Mr. Dunne." Perkins' countenance seemed to relax. He was glad that JD was now complying. The older man could sense the walls surrounding this youngster and it intrigued him. Most of the people here he'd invited because of their interest in psychology, that and their wealth. Casey he'd invited because he thought her intelligence would be an asset to the project. This JD, though, hadn't opened up enough to get a good read on yet. He smiled pleasantly at the dark haired boy and began.

"Tell me JD how did you break your arm?"

"Told you the other day, I had a motorcycle accident." JD wondered where this was going.

"What happened?"

"Brakes were cu...brakes failed," he amended mid-sentence, shrugging.

"Was it really an accident then?"

"Pardon?"

Perkins smiled faintly, "You started to tell us that your brakes were cut. Honesty JD," he reminded. "Was this an intentional attack on you?"

"I guess," JD frowned.

"So, someone intentionally cut the brakes on your bike to cause you harm." Perkins moved a little closer, still remaining on the outside of the circle.

"That's what I said, yeah."

"How do you feel about the person who did this to you?" Perkins crossed his arms casually and waited.

"Didn't appreciate her." JD shifted trying to get comfortable in his chair. He didn't actually remember much about the accident itself, just the worry over Buck before hand, and the events that followed.

"Did you know this person?"

"Not personally," JD smiled, the professor wasn't doing a very good job of keeping his questions `open' like he'd lectured about the day before.

"Why the attack then?"

"Dunno," JD shrugged.

"Seems a little odd, don't you think, to attack someone in such a manner with no reason? What happened to this person? You obviously know who it is since you referred to 'her'." Perkins frowned wishing he had a background on this man. Sessions were so much easier with accurate backgrounds.

JD sighed again. "She's dead," he said calmly. There was a collective gasp around the room. Perkins looked startled but recovered quickly. Only Casey looked unsurprised by JD's answer.

"How did she die?"

"She accidentally went over a cliff. Look what does this have to do with a stupid broken wrist?" JD had no more patience for this. To him Perkins was just being morbidly nosey.

"Well everything JD," Perkins answered smoothly. "How do you feel about this woman now?"

"I don't," JD answered automatically.

"But you must. I mean were you able to confront her about what happened before her death?"

"No," JD answered flatly.

"JD!" Casey's voice was sharp and she sounded exasperated as she jumped into the conversation.  
"She was stalking your boss and attacked you and the rest of the team just to get to him!"

JD glared at Casey. He didn't want to go into this here. Turning back Perkins he explained briefly.

"Look we tried to catch her. She ran, it was dark and she went over a cliff. End of story."

Alarm bells blared inside Perkins' head at the words team and catch. He swallowed and re-examined the young man in front of him. At most, he couldn't be any older then his mid twenties, though he looked like a teenager.

"What do you do for a living, JD?"

For some reason JD remembered a time right after he had moved in with Buck. Buck had been sharing different aspects of ATF work when he told JD "Never volunteer that you are ATF. Always stay as vague as possible. You never know, besides it never fails to add mystery and ladies love mystery."

"Law enforcement," he answered plainly.

Perkins saw his assistant tense, but ignored it and kept his voice calm as he replied. "I see, dangerous line of work. Must be a lot of feelings you have to work through everyday." There was no way this man could be undercover, Perkins thought, or he wouldn't have so freely given up the fact he worked in law enforcement. Even so, as soon as they broke for lunch he was going to start a thorough background check on this JD Dunne.

JD sat calmly as Perkins continued to ask him questions about the way he felt towards Kara Billings. Seemed to JD that Perkins had even lost interest with the short answers JD continued to give. He was not about to open up to these people. Hell, he hadn't even told Buck how he felt about the whole thing, not yet. He wasn't ready yet.

* * *

Perkins passed his office as night fell on the peaceful campground. He pressed the phone to his ear and growled into it.

"I don't care what you do! I want to know everything there is to know about JD Dunne and I want to know now. Nothing is going to get in the way of this plan." He'd been intercepted at lunchtime by a very different phone call. A psychologist from the south was in the area doing some research for a book and wanted to come by the center in the morning to interview him. The thrill of seeing his name and theories described in print was more then he could resist. But talking to the man had made him unable to get the check on Dunne started until now. Frustrated by the delay he was now taking it out on his contact on the other end of the line.

"Listen Dan, tomorrow I'm informing these people they are not leaving the center. If there's trouble I'll deal with it, but until I get the ransom I'm demanding from each and every family no one is leaving this property." He slammed the receiver down and looked around the dim room. He'd worked too long and hard organizing this to have something like a kid playing cop ruin things for him now.

* * *

JD stood in front of the mirror towel drying his hair with a vengeance. "Thank God it's Tuesday," he whispered, tossing the towel over the provided rack, and looking around the small room for a shirt. Since yesterday afternoon's events in 'the session' he'd been counting down the minutes until he and Casey could take off. His thoughts wandered to Casey. There was something different about her this weekend. He hated the way she seemed to hang on every word the professor said. Half of it didn't even make sense to him.

"Should have paid more attention during psych," he muttered, shrugging on a flannel shirt. He couldn't wait to get back to work. His fingers ached to touch a keyboard. He would give anything for a little bit of technology right now. He'd even managed to lose his cell phone. JD ran his fingers through his damp hair and concentrated on where he'd last seen the phone. He could have sworn he left it in the car, but after searching it three times he still came up empty. A nagging thought pulled at his mind, and he wondered if it had been stolen. Instinctively, he reached for his wallet reassuring himself it was still in his back pocket. He could only imagine all the red tape involved in getting his I.D. replaced. A knock on the door made him jump. What was with him? This entire weekend he'd been feeling guarded and antsy.

Casey opened the door before he could answer her knock. "Morning handsome," she smiled and moved forward kissing him gently before beginning to button his shirt for him.

"I can button my own clothes, Case."

Casey stepped back, her eyes clouding, "I-I was just trying to help," she stammered.

JD sighed heavily and reached for her hands. "I'm sorry, really," he pulled her a step closer, "I didn't mean to bite your head off, I'm just tired I guess. I'm sorry." His eyes searched hers.

She nodded, but pulled her hands from his. "We need to get to breakfast," she sounded okay.

"We could always skip breakfast," JD grinned playfully and tipped his head to the side pouting slightly. Casey frowned and moved further away from him resting her hands on her hips in defiance.

"You know JD that's just plain manipulative. If you can't respect me enough to ask me for something straight out, then don't bother to ask at all!" Her last words were shouted, as she spun on her heels and slammed out the door.

JD stood there, his shirt hanging half-buttoned, hair askew, and mouth open in shock. "I was only teasing," he whispered softly, staring at the closed doors. Finally he shook off his confusion, clumsily pulled on his boots and buttoned his shirt. Grabbing his coat he headed out after her.

* * *

Chris shifted and adjusted his position in the tree careful not to jostle around too much. All he needed now was to lose his balance and fall twenty feet to the cold ground. Shivering slightly, he pulled his hunting jacket tighter around him. He balanced his rifle across his lap and peered through his high-powered binoculars. He scowled as he watched the retreat center begin to come alive. He hated being this far away, but if they set up any closer, it would be too suspicious. He was already worried about their camp drawing too much attention. Five guys out for a week of hunting didn't seem too unusual, but he was sure Perkins would question everything.

Chris glanced over at Buck and Josiah perched in a fairly elaborate tree stand.

"Serious hunters," Buck grinned and struck a pose for him. Chris just smiled and adjusted his ear piece. "Everything working?"

"Just right. Everybody hear me okay?"

Nathan and Vin replied through the radios, letting Buck know the equipment was working fine. They were in separate trees, off to Chris' left. Though the team was well above the Retreat Center, they still needed to be in the trees for a better view into the place.

"You okay Josiah?" Chris hadn't wanted the agent to join them on a stake out so soon after returning to work, but he'd insisted, arguing "If Buck can go with his mouth full of tin and his cans of slim fast then I can go sit in a tree."

"I'm fine," the older man assured.

Chris shifted uneasily again reaching for the binoculars. There was another team on the other side of the retreat he could hear Josiah conferring with. They were further away though. Damn he wished he could get closer.

"You can hear Ezra?" He checked with Buck.

"Oh yeah, where does the man come up with this stuff?"

"God only knows," Nathan's voice was tinged with amusement.

The five of them could communicate together, but only Buck and Josiah could hear Ezra. Chris focused on the retreat and waited. There was no telling how long this was going to take. He thought he spotted Casey making her way across the camp and focused in on her. He couldn't see her expression, but could read that body language anywhere. Sure enough there was JD running after her. Chris smiled. At least some things were normal. Those two were always bickering about something. He watched the other retreat members as many made their way to one building.

"Must be breakfast," Buck commented.

Chris watched stoically, hoping that Ezra could find Perkins' true motives quickly and that JD and Casey wouldn't blow his cover on sight.

* * *

Ezra watched as Perkins scanned the resume and book summary he'd been given. The undercover agent had no doubt the work was believable but his thoughts were distracted. 'Focus,' he told himself, 'you'll handle seeing JD and Casey when the time comes.' He just hoped he wasn't too late.

"Impressive," Perkins' voice brought him into focus quickly. Ezra merely nodded. "What brings you to me?"

Ezra flashed a charming smile. "Well I've heard of your counseling techniques and wanted a chance to observe them before I tried to write about them," He leaned forward letting his voice fill with excitement, "I'm anticipating seeing how the group counseling and your combined questioning, effect the interpersonal process and social behaviors of those in the group. "

Perkins was nodding. "It is a very interesting process as you will soon see." He laid the papers on his desk and smiled broadly. "Let's head over to the cafeteria for breakfast. I'll introduce you to the group and you can get to know them some before the morning session."

"Sounds delightful."

Perkins stood and came around the desk as he put his coat on. "Your resume says you received your doctorate at the University of Georgia. Are you originally from that area?"

Ezra stood and gracefully slipped into a long black overcoat as he answered, "From Atlanta, yes."

"Bet you love this weather." The professor opened the door of the cabin letting the cold air blast in on them.

"No sir, I rather prefer a Georgia winter to this." Ezra smiled genuinely at the truth in his statement, pulled his collar up around his neck, and followed the professor out into the cold. There were only five buildings on the small retreat grounds. Ezra took mental notes as they walked. The main lodge, a second smaller lodge, the cabin they had just come from, and two other medium sized buildings set up parallel to the first three. He assumed the one they were heading for was the cafeteria.

"Casey wait!" JD's voice caught his attention and he looked over to see the younger agent just catching up to a very displeased looking Casey.

"Oh dear," Ezra whispered under his breath. As they drew closer to the couple he could hear JD apologizing and explaining. Casey appeared to be listening and softening, as JD spoke. Ezra smiled. No one could stay mad at JD for long. Casey hugged JD as Perkins stopped beside them. Ezra held his breath.

"Casey, JD " Perkins enjoyed his timing. "I'd like you to meet Dr. Ezra Harrington."

JD turned, again frustrated with the professor and looked up at the stranger he had no desire to meet. As his eyes met Ezra's his heart began to race. He heard Casey start to speak, but tightened his grasp on her arm and rushed in before she could say anything.

"Nice to meet you Dr…Harrington was it? I'm JD Dunne and this is my girl friend Casey Wells." He extended his hand to shake Ezra's.

The southerner smiled. "My pleasure," he squeezed JD's hand tightly and nodded once in greeting.  
Then he turned to Casey. "Truly my pleasure indeed." He took her gloved hand and kissed the back of it winking at her before letting go.

"Dr. Harrington is writing a book and is here to observe how we do things," Perkins spoke again, oblivious to anything going on between the three. "Casey here is a student of mine."

"Nice to meet you," Casey found her voice finally. Ezra could see her confusion and tried to smile reassuringly.

"We'll see you inside," JD motioned toward the building in front of them. He held Casey back as Ezra and Perkins proceeded into the cafeteria.

"What is going on?" Casey's eyes were large as she turned to him.

"I don't know Casey, but Ezra's obviously undercover. No matter what we do we can't let on we know him."

Casey nodded. "I get that, but J.D why? Why would Ezra be here?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Maybe Professor Perkins is under investigation for some reason."

"No." Casey was emphatic. "Professor Perkins would never do anything against the law." She shook her head.

"Casey, this guy is weird, he's manipulative...and…"

"You just don't like him!" Casey protested.

"Casey," JD reached for her with his good hand, his fingers catching her neck, his thumb on her cheek. Gently he pulled her closer tilting her head up to look at him. "You're right, I don't like him. I don't know why, I just don't. But what matters now is taking our cues from Ezra. You have to trust me on this, please?" His voice had fallen to a whisper.

Shivering Casey nodded and let herself be pulled into a hug. She didn't want to believe the nagging doubts that maybe JD was right about Professor Perkins, but JD was good at his job and right now for her own safety as well as his and Ezra's, she had to trust him.

tbc...


	3. Chapter 3

Part 3

Leaning forward against the rough tree bark Chris held his breath as he watched the interactions between Ezra, Perkins, JD and Casey. As soon as Perkins and Ezra moved on, he looked over at Buck.

"What happened?"

Buck was smiling. "The kids kept Ez's cover."

Chris let out a huge sigh of relief.

"You're sure?" Vin asked.

"From the conversation, yes. As far as looks and non-verbals, I have no idea. Perkins seemed oblivious."

"Yeah, but he has a doctorate in psychology," Nathan said calmly. "Most likely he can read non-verbals pretty well."

"Let's hope he's too distracted with impressing Ezra," Chris answered, but his own doubts came flooding back chasing away any relief he might have felt. "Josiah, how's the research coming on the people inside?" He hated feeling helpless, and sitting in a tree all day was not his way of getting things done.

"Not much so far, but I just got the records from team 5 sorted so I can get through them easier. Could use JD's expertise here about now." Josiah fiddled with the laptop, his big fingers searching for the right keys. He was capable, but JD was faster.

"Keep at it," Chris said simply, as he swung his leg over the branch and began to carefully climb down.

"Going somewhere?" Vin asked watching him.

"Legs are falling asleep, need to move around a little," Chris explained, as he climbed. He jumped the remaining five feet to the ground landing with a crunch on the snow-dusted leaves. He stood to his full height and stretched, all the while keeping his eyes on the retreat center.

"Anything from Team 6," he asked Buck, as he made his way over to the tree stand.

"Nope they're sitting pretty, reporting in every half hour. Seems not much is happening right now."  
Chris nodded knowingly. Right now they were just waiting for Ezra to find out something or for Perkins to make his move. A low whistle from Josiah caught his attention. "What?" He asked scaling the tree until his head was just above level with the stand floor, his gaze intent on Josiah.

"Seems our man Perkins has a little more on his agenda than the perfect community." Josiah pointed at the laptop adjusting the screen so Chris could get a view of it. "About everybody he has in there is from a wealthy family."

"How wealthy?" Chris asked squinting at the figures on the screen.

"Millions."

"Ransom," Chris growled the word. "Start checking to see if any demands have been made yet. Get team 6 on it too." He climbed down quickly and leaned against the tree, trying to collect his thoughts.  
From what Daring's team had dug up, Perkins had a stash of weapons inside. Chris swore under his breath. The man wasn't out to defend his ideal community. The guns were to keep the hostages in line and police at bay. Ezra and JD were in the impossible position of trying to prevent a standoff.

* * *

Strolling casually across the grounds Ezra inconspicuously followed JD and Casey into the main lodge. He'd met various retreat goers, and sat through the morning session, taking detailed notes. It still amazed him how dutifully these people allowed themselves to be lead by Perkins. He'd watched as Perkins questioned a young woman, zeroing in immediately on her weakness, guilt.

Then he broke through her defenses by using it against her, pure manipulation. Ezra smiled wryly at the thought of his mother and Perkins locked in a room together. He watched, as Casey went into one room and JD, the next. There was a 15-minute break before lunch and though Ezra knew he was taking a huge chance following the two, he had to get JD updated on the case and get his help. He looked around to make sure he wasn't being followed himself then knocked once on JD's door before letting himself in.

JD was expecting him. "What's going on Ezra?" He asked keeping his voice low as Ezra closed the door behind him.

"For starters Perkins plans on keeping everyone here indefinitely," the older agent began.

"You mean we're hostages?"

"It appears that way. As of yet, we are unsure of his motives, but for a man bent on establishing an ideal community, he has a rather overcompensating collection of illegal firearms stashed away on the premises." Ezra moved further into the room shaking his head at the disarray. Sweeping a pair of jeans off the only chair, he sat down and motioned for JD to sit on the bed.

"I've counted 35 including us and the children, ten of that number are retreat staff, so it's possible they are tightly aligned with Perkins in this whole thing. Have you revealed your occupation to anyone here?"

JD shook his head, "Not exactly."

"What do you mean?" Concern filled Ezra.

"Well Perkins got me in that session thing and grilled me. All I said was I was in law enforcement, why?"

"Team 5 had a man inside, Perkins found him out, and suffice it to say he's alive, but barely. They found him in the woods tied to a tree. He'd been left there overnight."

"Geez. I knew there was something weird about Perkins."

"I'm going to need your help to find out what all is going on. Can you get into Perkins' office?"

"Yeah, no problem," JD nodded.

"Find out anything you can about what they are really up to here and watch your back. I've noticed a few of the staff don't appear to be happy campers."

"What do I tell Casey?" JD met Ezra's gaze. "She doesn't want to believe that Perkins is…"

"Not the man she thought he was?" Ezra finished for him, as he rose from the chair.

JD nodded again, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"She'll be okay. I'll try to pull her aside and talk to her a little. You just concentrate on getting us some information to work with." He looked at his watch. "Lunch is in ten, so hurry, don't be too late or you'll draw more attention to yourself."

"What about the others? Are they coming in or nearby?"

"The team?" Ezra smiled. "Listening to our every word my friend."

* * *

JD glanced over his shoulder once before heading around the back of the main lodge. He could see the perimeter fence only a few feet from him and looked up into the woods a minute, wondering if Chris and the others could see him. He made his way quickly along the buildings until coming to the third one and approached it carefully. His heart raced as he ducked beneath a window straining to hear the voices inside.

"All the demands have been put through," a deep voice was saying. "One million each for everyone except, the Wells girl, Dunne and Harrington."

"They don't matter, they're just along as extras, if I need them. Can't go killing the ones that are worth something and yet you never know when your hand will be forced." JD's eyes widened, as he recognized the second voice as that as Perkins. "Has Dan called yet with the report on Dunne?"

"Not yet, but I've been on the phone a lot."

"Keep off it, I want that report as soon as possible. I don't like that kid."

"You think we'll have trouble with the cops?"

"Not right away. I brought everyone up here personally except Casey and Harrington. I made it perfectly clear to both of them, that I want this place to stay a private retreat. I know Casey wouldn't tell anyone where she was going and I doubt Harrington has anyone in town to tell, since he's just visiting the area. It'll take awhile for any cops to find us, and by that time we can be on our way. You took Dunne's phone right?"

"Yeah. No calls have gone out of here since Friday that haven't been made by you or me."

"Good, we better get over to the cafeteria an make the announcement that everybody will be staying a little longer then planned."

"Think there'll be trouble?"

"Nothing we can't handle."

JD listened, as the two men exited the cabin and then waited just a minute before running around to the front door. It was locked and he didn't have time to pick it. He'd heard enough to fill Ezra in on Perkins true motives. Frowning he walked toward the cafeteria himself. How were he and Ezra going to get 23 other hostages out of here without putting the others in more danger than they were in already? He glanced up into the woods again then hurried into the building.

* * *

Ezra watched as Perkins and his assistant came into the dining hall. He glanced across the table to Casey and smiled reassuringly. He'd been able to talk with her for a moment, but he could still see the doubt and confusion, as she tried to process the information about Perkins. They engaged in small talk now, focusing on general things, like her college courses and his book ideas. Casey picked at her plate of salad and looked anxiously towards the door for signs of JD. She was rewarded on her fourth glance, as he calmly entered. Nonchalantly he flashed her a smile and made his way along the line scooping up a lunch plate for himself. Grabbing a single serving carton of milk, JD balanced his tray carefully as he weaved his way through the other tables.

"Dr. Harrington," he nodded to Ezra, as he set his tray next to Casey's. Ezra started to return a greeting, but before he could speak Perkins was calling for everyone's attention.

JD's eyes met Ezra's and he quickly mouthed the word "ransom." Ezra's only acknowledgment was a raised eyebrow, as he turned to face Perkins.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for interrupting your meal, but I wanted to express my gratitude for such a wonderful week." He scanned the room as he spoke. "Now I know that some of you have been here a full week while others only made it for the weekend. I feel we've achieved so much as a group that I hate to see it end. I've decided to extend the seminar for another three days, and I'm asking all of you to stay."

JD felt Casey tense beside him and he reached for her hand. Several others were murmuring to each other, most were more concerned about missing classes than anything.

"Now," Perkins raised his voice slightly to be heard over the others. "I've checked your paperwork and have been able to get you students excused from university classes. Those of you worried about your jobs can provide me with the appropriate phone numbers, and I'll take care of that as well."

"How convenient," JD muttered under his breath.

"As far as our schedule goes, we'll keep the same one we've been having." As he spoke Perkins moved to stand behind one of the families, his hand resting on the shoulder of a brown-eyed little girl. "Any questions?" He looked around the now quiet room. "Good, see you in the afternoon session then." With a smile that looked almost menacing, he patted the girl on the head and moved to get his own lunch.

Ezra turned back to JD and Casey, "This is where it begins to get interesting I imagine," he whispered softly.

"W-what exactly does this mean?" Casey stammered a little trying not to look over at her Professor.

"He's making ransom demands for everybody," JD filled Ezra in between bites, in an attempt keep the conversation looking casual. "Asking one million each."

Casey gasped and reached for her water. "But…"

Seeing her worry, JD interrupted her. "Oh not us, unfortunately we're along cause we're expendable."

"That is quite an amazing theory," Ezra intoned normally, catching Perkins looking their way, "How exactly did you become interested in psychology?" He asked Casey.

"Ah well…" Casey followed his lead and answered honestly trying to keep her voice steady.

* * *

"It's official," Buck turned a serious look to Chris who was pacing below him, "Perkins just told everybody they're staying for a few more days and JD confirmed the ransom demands." He continued as Chris and the others stopped what they were doing to listen to him. "Perkins is asking for a million each."

"For each?" Vin sounded shocked at the amount. Josiah nodded. "Daring just called in, ransom calls have been made. The FBI will be joining us shortly."

"Wonderful," Chris frowned. "What about Ezra, JD and Casey? He asking for ransom for them too?" He didn't like the angry look in Buck's eyes as his friend shook his head.

"Not according to what JD told Ezra. Perkins considers them expendable."

"Their cover been blown?" Nathan asked, climbing down from the tree he was occupying.

"Doesn't sound like it."

"Then why are they expendable?" Nathan stopped next to Chris and readjusted his cap as he looked up at Buck, but the answer came from Chris.

"He planned it that way, with JD and Casey anyway."

"Damn," Buck swore under his breath.

"What do we do now?" Vin asked joining the others by the tree stand. Chris closed his eyes for a minute trying to think, ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"What's the mood on the inside Buck? Any body making waves about staying longer?"

"Not really, some murmuring and surprise I think, but no big protests."

Josiah rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Let's hope that's a good sign."

"For now, at least until they find out they're hostages." Chris looked toward the campground again.  
"Keep monitoring Ezra closely. Wish we could talk to him, as much as I want to get in there and get them out we have no idea what Perkins is willing to do, but we know he has the fire power to do about anything. Josiah, keep me updated on the FBI movements. God knows what Perkins will do when they show up. "

* * *

Pausing a moment to warm himself in front of the large stone fireplace, Ezra listened to Perkins describe the grounds to him. They had just finished a short tour of the retreat center and were about to head back to the dining hall that doubled as their pavilion for counseling sessions and Perkins' seminars.

"Thank you for indulging my curiosity with a grand tour." Ezra rubbed his hands together in an attempt to get his blood circulating again. He hated the cold.

"No problem at all. I'm quite proud of the place," Perkins admitted.

Ezra smiled knowingly. "I noticed we missed one building, the one adjacent to the dining hall?" He wasn't positive he should bring the overlooked building up, but wanted to confirm his suspicions that it was where Perkins had his weapons stashed.

"Oh that's just a glorified supply shed," Perkins answered smoothly. "We keep our extras there. A jeep for when snow hits, extra food staples, a few medical supplies in case of emergencies, that kind of thing. Shall we venture back for the session."

"By all means." Ezra pasted another false, but convincing smile on his face and let Perkins lead the way. He was getting tired of acting thrilled by every word this fraud said.

The dining hall had been rearranged again. Tables pushed to the side while the metal chairs were put in a large circle. Ezra took a seat on the opposite side of the circle from JD and Casey, doing his best to converse and mix with the others. He noticed the few small children being led into a side room. He checked on JD and Casey, Casey appeared somewhat nervous. He hoped she would be okay through this. Perkins was about to join them when his assistant rushed in, a piece of paper in one hand. Ezra had been introduced to the surly looking man named Justin when he'd first met Perkins. Justin looked agitated now, as he whispered loudly to Perkins.

Perkins' head snapped up at Justin's whispers. "What?" His voice was harsh and angry. He glanced quickly at JD then at the paper Justin held. He addressed the group with a strained smile.

"I'll be with you in a moment," he said as he pulled Justin a few steps further away from them. He angrily grabbed the paper from the larger man. "How the hell did you let an ATF agent back in here?"  
Perkins ignored the fact that he was the one who had invited Casey and her boyfriend. The boy couldn't be undercover. No agent would be stupid enough to even admit they were in law enforcement while undercover, but how could this be a coincidence? Another member of his staff entered looking upset.

"What is it now Seth?" Perkins growled.

"The ATF and FBI are here, setting up outside the grounds."

"What? This cannot be happening. How did they find this place so soon?" He looked at Justin. "I thought I told you to get rid of that other agent," he could feel a tension headache starting.

"I did boss, left him in the woods just like you said," Justin omitted the anonymous phone call he had made the next morning.

"Had to be Dunne then," he looked at the men in front of him then smiled slowly.

"You get everyone together and pass out weapons. Setup guards around the perimeter. If the FBI or ATF tries to make contact, you tell them we're not talking to anybody until we see some money. If we don't see some cash within an hour, I'm going to lose patience." He surveyed the circle of people, his gaze settling on JD. "And that," he emphasized waving the fax in his hand. "Will not be good for Agent Dunne."

tbc...


	4. Chapter 4

Part 4

Chris stood with his arms crossed in front of him. His focus shifting from the campground to the FBI agents that suddenly seemed to swarm the woods. Vin turned from a conversation with one of the team leaders and made his way back to Larabee. "How many did they send in?" Chris asked, as the sharpshooter approached.

"50." Vin stopped beside him and watched the activity. "So much for sneaking up on him."

Chris chuckled sarcastically. "Well, we knew that wasn't an option as soon as he demanded ransom. Who's in charge over there?"

"I am."

Chris turned to the man as he came toward him.

"Good to see you again Larabee." He reached for Chris' extended hand and shook it in a firm grip.

"Barry," Chris nodded to his old friend. They'd been assigned a case together before Chris was promoted to ATF team leader. "What's your plan?"

Barry twisted to look down at the campground and grimaced. "Sure you don't want to give up your spot here? Great view."

"Not a chance," Chris' response was serious. "I've got two of my team in there Payton."

"I know, Chris. Right now we're just letting Perkins know we're here. Their cover still good?"

"As far as we know." Chris stepped closer to the FBI agent. "Payton Barry, Vin Tanner," he introduced the men.

Vin nodded and shook the agent's hand.

"Heard a lot of good things about you, Tanner," Barry smiled, his brown eyes seemed to dance even in the seriousness of the situation. "About your whole team actually." He turned back to Chris. "Glad to see you finally made something of yourself there, Larabee."

Chris flashed him a sinister grin. "Just tell me your plan Barry." Barry laughed and started to fill Chris in on the details, pointing out where his agents were stationed.

"Hey Chris!" Nathan's call through the radio made all three men turn in his direction.

"What is it?"

"We got trouble," Nathan pointed up to where Buck sat in the tree stand listening to Ezra's wire.

77777777777777777777

Ezra watched intently, as Perkins conversed with his staff members. He saw the younger man hand the professor a paper and frowned when Perkins looked at JD

"Gentlemen," he whispered. "I don't know if you can hear me, but whatever you are doing, Perkins is looking a bit riled in here." He stopped talking when the young dark haired girl next to him gave him a strange look. Perkins was coming back toward the circle, an uneasy smile on his face.

"Sorry for that interruption, let's begin." Casually the professor sauntered around the circle already focused on the perfect candidate. Students shifted nervously in their seats as the atmosphere in the room seemed to take on new characteristics.

Shivers ran up and down Ezra's spine as Perkins walked behind him. He tensed imperceptibly until the man was once again in his sights. He wished he could hear from Chris and find out what was going on outside. He was certain the FBI had arrived, that meant the ransom demands had been delivered. What worried him most, though, was the way Perkins looked at JD. Glancing around the room he quickly searched for any other exits, but other then the main entrance the other doors led only to the children's room, the kitchen, and a closet.

"Miss Wells," Perkins voice brought Ezra quickly back to the circle. "Lets hear from you this afternoon."

Casey looked for a moment like a deer caught in the headlights, but she collected herself and nodded. Finding her voice she smiled. "Sure."

JD looked at Ezra, both men realizing something was very wrong.

Once Casey was seated Perkins began. "Casey, yesterday we learned that JD is in law enforcement. How do you feel about his job?"

Casey looked at JD then her Professor. "It makes me nervous sometimes," she admitted.

"Why?"

"Well, it's dangerous." She played with the edge of her sweater while she talked.

"Afraid he'll get hurt?"

Casey nodded, Perkins continued.

"How did you feel when you heard about his accident?" Perkins stood with his hands clasped behind his back like he did so often in class.

Casey shrugged. "I was scared at first, until I found out he was okay…then I was fine too," her mind was racing. It wasn't like this was the first time JD had been hurt on the job.

"Are you afraid he'll get hurt again?"

'Terrified right now,' she thought to herself before answering. "Sometimes."

"Are you ever afraid his job will put you in danger?"

There was something different in his tone suddenly. Casey looked at him, her eyes beginning to see him clearly. "JD would never do anything to put me in danger," her voice grew stronger as she spoke.

"Good girl," Ezra whispered, seeing the change. "Be strong now."

Perkins noticed the change too, saw his ally slip away and knew it was time to take complete control of the situation. "Never?" he asked stepping into the circle.

"Never."

Perkins looked at JD, as he asked the next question. "What exactly does JD do?"

Casey looked confused. "He's in law enforcement."

"What field Casey?" She looked at Perkins, but did not answer. "What is he hiding from all of us, Casey? Something he's ashamed to share?"

"He's not hiding anything!" Casey protested.

"No?" Perkins was standing right beside her now, laughing inwardly at the anger he saw growing in JD's eyes. "And he'd never do anything to put you in danger either?" He reached forward and squeezed her shoulder just hard enough to make her tense visibly.

"Don't touch her," JD hopped out of his seat.

"Oh Lord," Ezra whispered.

"You have something to add here Agent Dunne?" Perkins asked emphasizing 'agent.'

"Get away from her." JD didn't back down. He didn't care that Perkins knew he was an agent his only concern was protecting Casey.

"No, No, I'm perfectly comfortable right here. Sit down please."

JD took a step forward, but the grimace on Casey's face, as Perkins tightened his grip stopped him. He sat down.

"Thank you. Now," Perkins turned to the others. The group looked nervous and confused. "Ladies and gentlemen I have to admit I have not been completely honest with the goal of this seminar." He pulled Casey out of the chair and pushed her towards the empty seat next to JD She stumbled, but maintained her footing and sat down letting JD put a protective arm around her. "You see, I'm not really interested in anything about you except your wealthy families. So they have been notified that until they pay a particular sum, you will remain here as my...umm guests. That was the plan anyway, but it seems Mr. Dunne has been hiding the fact that he is an ATF agent. Now ATF and FBI agents surround the retreat, " as he spoke Perkins made his way over behind the food counter. He picked up a hand radio and mumbled something into it, then came back around to the circle, a handgun now visible.

Several in the group gasped as the shock of what was happening settled over them. "I'll not have anyone causing trouble," Perkins ordered, waving the gun about. The door opened and five staff members entered, all heavily armed. A couple of the women began to cry. Perkins ignored them, as he ordered his staff, "Make sure every one is armed, keep this building under close watch. You and you…" he pointed. "Back up Mike at the gate, I'm sure they'll approach there first. Then set up guards at these exits. Can you cover everything?" The men nodded. "All right, Justin and Seth you stay here and keep this group in line." He pointed to where he wanted the two guards to position themselves, then returned his focus to the group.

"Now I hope we have an understanding." His gaze fell on Ezra. "I apologize, Dr. Harrington, for the untimeliness of your visit." He laughed. "Hope this doesn't affect how you portray me in your book."

Ezra raised an eyebrow quizzically, but remained silent.

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"Damn." Chris listened to the events unfold.

"He must have run a back ground check on JD," Buck said rubbing his jaw. The cold was making it ache and the tension of the situation wasn't helping.

Vin peered through a pair of binoculars, "They've set up guards around the dining hall and at the front gate. Looks like the building next to it has all the firepower."

"What's your next plan?" Chris looked at Agent Barry, knowing the FBI was taking the lead now.

"Shouldn't we just go in now, before he can get himself all prepared for us?" Buck wanted to get JD out of there.

Barry understood the anxiety. He'd heard about the level of kinship on Larabee's team and knew it was part of what made them so successful. "That sounds logical Mr. Wilmington, but if we go in now when he's as agitated as he probably is, we're apt to lose a lot of hostages." He looked from Buck to the campground then to Chris. "Let's go see what the man has to say."

Chris nodded and handed the earpiece he was using back to Buck, putting his own back in place. He turned to follow Agent Barry. "Keep me updated," he told his team with out looking back at them.

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Perkins paced around the circle of students pausing only to check the windows every few minutes. Ezra was getting tired of the man's prattling. "What I said in our sessions was true." Perkins was justifying. "What begins with us does affect the world at large. You have to take control and that's what I'm doing."

The front door of the hall opened and Justin spun towards it. One of the staff came in and whispered anxiously to him. Looking nervous Justin nodded and approached Perkins. "Boss?"

"What?" Perkin's eyes flashed.

"They want to talk to you, only you." Justin shifted uneasily as he watched Perkins inwardly debate his options.

"Fine, I'll talk to them. Where?"

"Front gate. According to Chad, just two of them."

Perkins snorted. "Yeah, but how many sharp shooters do they have out there?"

He looked around. "Alright I'll go." He walked over to JD and pointed the gun at him. "Get up."

JD hesitated just briefly enough to anger Perkins further. "I said Get up NOW!" He roughly grabbed JD by the hair and jerked him to his feet. Casey cried out. "Don't try anything heroic," Perkins hissed in JD's ear, as he pressed the gun into his side. "I'd hate to have to kill you in front of your girl. Think of the therapy!" He laughed.

Ezra watched the scene play out before he decided what to do. Every part of him wanted to jump in and help JD, but he knew that blowing his cover would ruin the only contact the team had with what was going on inside.

"Mark, please." He stood slowly with his hands out in front of him, non- threatening. Perkins spun around and pressed the gun into JD's temple.

"What are you going to do Dr. Harrington? Analyze me as exhibiting blatant anti-social behavior?"

"No, No I just want you to consider what you're doing. Hurting this young man will not improve your situation any." Ezra tried to keep his voice smooth and regulated. His eyes met JD's an instant before focusing solely on Perkins. "Please Mark," he tried again.

Perkins merely scowled shaking his head. "I'm not going to let you or any one else screw this up. I've worked months on this plan. Justin!" he called.

"Yeah?" Justin stepped forward.

"Get him out of my face and make sure I don't have to deal with him until I'm good and ready to." Justin nodded and moved toward Ezra, who stepped back bumping against his chair.

Wrapping his arm around JD's neck and shoulders, Perkins began to drag him toward the door. JD tried to struggle against him, but the older man smacked him with the gun just hard enough to stun him into submission.

Ezra instinctively stepped forward again trying to push around Justin, but was met only by darkness, as the larger man followed Perkins' lead and used his gun as a club.

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"Chris!" Chris heard Buck's urgency and saw the cause of it simultaneously, as Perkins kicked open the dining hall door and emerged. Fear gripped him at the sight of JD stumbling along with a gun pressed to his head.

Perkins shifted constantly, until one of his staff was behind him to watch his back. "You take me down and I'll take him with me," he shouted angrily.

"That your man?" Barry asked calmly. Chris could only nod.

The professor approached the gate, stopping ten feet in front of them. His assistant's gun was drawn and ready. "You wanted to speak with me- now talk." He jerked JD in front of him. "Talk fast."

Chris could see the red mark on the side of JD's face where he'd been struck and searched for any other visible injuries, meeting JD's eyes. There was fear there and anger too, and Chris knew he was okay for now.

"I'm Agent Barry, Professor Perkins. This is Agent Larabee," Barry began.

"I don't care who you are." Perkins voice was calming now like he was regaining his control.

"We'd like to talk to you about working this mess out."

"Nothing to work out, agent. I want to see two million cash in here within and hour or I start taking care of hostages and I start with him." He shook JD slightly. "One of you must recognize Agent Dunne."

"An hour isn't enough time for us to come up with that kind of cash," Barry explained.

"Nice standard reply. Stalling will get you no where." He pressed the gun harder against JD's temple causing JD to gasp lightly. He quickly bit his lip.

Chris took a step forward, but Barry put a restraining hand on his arm.

"Ah ah ah." Perkins shook his head and cocked the gun. "You don't want me to shoot him now do you? Do you?" Perkins prodded.

"No," Chris' answer was a menacing growl.

"Didn't think so." Perkins began to move away from the gate again, his assistant following. "Get me the money, then we talk."

"There's no way Perkins." Barry still hadn't let go of Chris' arm.

"Two million in one hour or Mr. Dunne begins to die, slowly."

Chris watched as J.D was dragged away again, helplessness overwhelming him in waves. Buck was yelling at him through his wire. "What is it Buck?"

"Before he came out Perkins had a run in with Ezra. He was trying to help JD, I think."

Chris swore. "Did he blow his cover?"

'No, but he's been quiet an awful long time."

"Damn it!" Chris needed to lash out at something, someone, anyone. He turned on Barry. "Don't you ever restrain me like that again Payton," he hissed coming nose to nose with the balding man.

"Chris, you know he'd have shot JD if you tried to go at him just then." He didn't back down as his eyes filled with understanding.

"Never again Payton."

Barry stood silent, watching, as Chris stalked away. He knew the man needed to vent. He under stood what it was like to have members of his team in this kind of situation. Blinking he ran a hand over his face chasing the agonizing memories that flashed through him back to the past and renewing his focus on the present.

As Chris approached the tree stand, he could see the worry in everyone's eyes.

"JD okay?" Buck asked anxiously.

Chris ran a hand through his hair and shivered realizing the temperature had dropped. "For now," he nodded. "He's holding up. What's going on with Ezra?"

"We don't know," Josiah answered. "He tried to calm Perkins down when he first grabbed JD Perkins went off on him and we think one of the staff knocked him out. Been quiet ever since, we can't even hear any body else stirring or talking."

"Think they found the wire?"

Buck shook his head. "No, the connection hasn't died, just went silent."

"What do you mean?" Chris looked confused.

"Either everyone is super quiet or Ezra's been separated from the group, and he's unconscious."  
Chris steely gaze fixed on the dining hall below. "Then where the hell is he?"

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Ezra groaned and opened his eyes. It was dark. Something was pressing against his back, digging through his casual winter sweater. Trying to sit up, he found himself wedged in one spot.

"Oh God," his voice rasped, as the floor lurched beneath him. He closed his eyes against the spinning but couldn't stop it. His breathing quickened, as he struggled to force air into his lungs. Panic shot through him. "Oh God," he gasped again. He wanted to scream, but fear paralyzed him. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Air, he needed air. He took another strangled breath. "Oh God I can't breath." He felt the walls moving around him. Like a horrible carnival ride they pushed and pulled at him, the floor tilted again and this time he pressed his face against the rough wall in an effort to make the spinning stop. "Where am I?" He whispered. He began to wheeze as the darkness pressed in around him.

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Nathan sat in the tree stand, one knee bouncing in an irregular beat with his frustration. He watched the FBI teams scurry around, cell phones pressed against their heads. He reached up and adjusted his earpiece hoping for some sound or anything. The FBI was trying to get money in by the one-hour deadline. A show of faith they called it, trying to buy time for JD and Ezra. He looked down at Buck pacing back and forth with worry. The point of relieving the man was so he would rest. He sighed and looked at Josiah sitting on his right. The man sat staring calmly at the campground. Nathan wondered what thoughts were going through his friend's head. 'Probably prayer,' he thought. Despite his encouragement to let Vin or Chris take over for awhile, Josiah had refused.

"I feel like I'm doing something up here Brother, I'm fine."

Nathan had eventually relented.

Glancing at his watch Nathan frowned. Their hour was quickly running out. They were desperate for news inside, but Ezra's wire remained silent. He was just about to ask Buck to pass him up a cup of the awful coffee the FBI had brought in, when he heard it.

A rustle and a groan. He looked at Josiah. "I've got something." He heard Ezra.

"Oh God." more rustling. "Oh God."

He sensed the panic growing in the southerner's voice.

Chris' head popped up level with the tree stand, causing him to jump. "What do you have?"

Nathan shook his head and held up his hand straining to hear what was happening. Chris reached across and grabbed the extra earpiece. They heard Ezra's voice crack, as he struggled to breathe. "He's panicking." Nathan looked at Chris. "Come on Ezra, " he mumbled. "Deep breaths."

Chris' eyes grew wide, as Ezra started to wheeze. "What's wrong with him?" He asked.

"I don't know." Nathan's concern was growing. "If he doesn't calm down, he's going to hyperventilate."

Vin looked up from the base of the tree. "Chris, let me listen." Chris jumped down and passed the earpiece to Vin. The sharpshooter listened carefully, his eyes meeting Nathan's.

The former medic shrugged searching his mind for answers. It didn't sound like a punctured lung, they hadn't heard him get beat up or anything. He couldn't figure it out.

"Claustrophobia." Vin continued to listen, as he spoke. "Ever since last month. He can't even ride in a car with out cracking the window. "

Chris looked at his friend. "Why didn't he say anything?"

"Would you?"

Chris shook his head knowing he'd have kept his struggles to himself. Like Ezra, he hated to show weakness.

"Is there anything we can do?" Buck asked impatiently.

"Pray." Josiah's somber voice seemed to silence the woods as they stood helpless.

"Come on Ezra," Vin quietly encouraged wishing his friend could hear him. "Slow down, think it out."

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Ezra's mind raced with his breathing. He knew he was losing control. His mother would have let him have it. Why was he thinking of her now? He heard noise beyond the wall, Perkins, JD… JD needed him. He gasped remembering the wire.

Choking, he forced himself to take a deep breath, then another. The team was listening. If he didn't get it together he'd be letting them all down. "Breathe Ezra," he whispered taking another breath. "Slow down, think it out," he repeated Vin's words unknowingly.

He could see Buck, imagining the man's expression. His fear for JD would be eating him up right now. He was their only link. He forced his mind to focus on trying to figure out where he was. There was no light for his eyes to adjust to, just darkness. He ran over the lay out of the dining hall again. "I have to be in the closet," he said remembering.

"It's just a closet Ezra." His breathing was continuing to slow now, though his heart still raced. "Just a closet," he murmured again and twisted his body around to free the arm pinned behind him. Sharp tingles attacked like pinpricks as he flexed his fingers. Carefully he reached out exploring the tiny space. A giant fist of panic squeezed him tight, as he felt the back wall beneath his hand. "Focus Ezra," he commanded. "You can do this." He reached up above his head for the doorknob, feeling the cold metal. Slowly he turned it, knowing it was locked.

"Gentlemen," he finally managed to address the team with a semblance of decorum. "I seem to find myself in the unfortunate position of being locked in a closet."

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Vin sighed with relief, as he handed the wire back to Chris. "He's in control again."

Chris nodded and tossed the wire to Nathan. "Keep me informed." He looked at his watch and frowned. "Hours almost up, I'm going to check with Barry."

"Chris?" Buck stepped away from the tree he'd been leaning against. "Tell me they aren't going to let that son of a bitch shoot JD."

"Buck." Chris wanted to look away from the intensity of Buck's plea. "You know how this works. They're doing their best."

"They better be."

Chris found Barry easily and waited for the man to finish his current conversation before talking. His friend's eyes were clouded, as he turned to face him.

"Did you get contact from your other agent?"

Chris nodded. "We can hear him, unfortunately, he's locked in a closet. You get the money?"  
Barry shook his head, "He didn't give us enough time Chris. It's on the way, but there's no way it'll be here by his deadline."

Chris knew the Barry's words were true. There was nothing they could do, but hope Perkins was bluffing. "If he shoots my man I'm going in."

"You know you can't do that." Barry protested, but Chris was already walking away.

Nathan and Josiah listened to Ezra's hushed tones. "I don't know if you can hear Perkins, but he seems to be pontificating about his ideals again." Ezra pressed himself against the closet door trying to hear better.

"What time is it?" Perkins yelled, as somebody and received a muffled reply.

"Seems your hour is up, ."

"No!" Casey's voice. Ezra strained to hear which direction the voices were coming from. He could hear crying off to his right. Perkins was center. The muffled voices of his staff came from the left. Ezra pictured the room again trying to remember exactly where the closet was located. The guards were by the main entrance, Perkins must be a good twenty feet from the others, but where was JD?

"Justin give me that radio," Perkins ordered. "You hear me Barry?"

Outside, Chris tensed as he heard Perkins voice crackle through the radio.

"I can hear you," Barry answered calmly.

"You got my money?"

Chris held his breath.

"It's on it's way Mark, we need more time."

Inside, Ezra heard the agent's response and Perkins' laugh.

"That's not good enough for me or agent Dunne." The gun shot came instantly, catching Ezra by surprise. He heard Casey scream and his heart stopped.

Outside Buck dropped to his knees, as the sound of the shot echoed through the woods.

Chris closed his eyes, grief and anger washing over him. He couldn't look at Buck or anyone else right now. The natural sounds of the woods were deafening, as agents stood shocked into silence. Perkins voice sounded again, as Chris shivered with hatred.

"You have another hour to get me the original two million, plus two million more, or agent Dunne gets shot again and this time I'll aim for something more vital than his damn leg."

Chris' eyes flew open. JD was alive. He looked at Buck still on his knees, their eyes met for a moment then Christ reached out and pulled his friend to his feet. "We're going in," he said simply.

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

Here is the conclusion of this story! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!

Part 5

Ezra's mind reeled and he let out his breath, hearing Perkins newest threat. JD was alive. He listened, sorting through the renewed sobs and whimpers, until he heard the voice he recognized. JD groaned. Ezra heard Casey murmuring and then JD say he was okay.

"I can hear JD," he whispered into his wire. "He's telling Casey he's okay." Ezra knew it was a lie, but outside they needed the reassurance he had just by hearing JD speak. He knew, though, that JD had to be losing blood and that meant they didn't have time to wait for this thing to resolve itself.

"Knowing our illustrious leader like I do, I'm going to assume you are prepared to break protocol and set a plan in motion to get us out of here." Ezra made up his mind about what he was going to do. "I'm about to go into a detailed description of everything I know about the grounds and this building in particular. I hope one of you had the foresight to procure a writing implement."

Nathan motioned for Chris and tossed him the extra earpiece again. "That man's as long winded as they come, but eventually he gets to something important."

He grabbed the notebook Josiah was handing him and got ready to write, as Chris held up the wire, so Buck and Vin could crowd around and listen.

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JD bit his lip, as Casey pulled him closer to her. She took a sweatshirt she had borrowed from one of the other hostages and pressed it against his leg trying to slow the bleeding. If he didn't know any better he'd have sworn his leg was on fire.

"I'm sorry," Casey whispered, tears forming again in her eyes.

"Shh, I'm gonna be fine Casey."

She shook her head unable to answer, but shifted so he could lean against her better. JD tried to focus on anything other than his leg. He'd known he was in trouble when Perkins said the hour was up, but the quickness of the man's action had caught him off guard. He'd expected a build up, a slow approach to intimidate that would give him time to brace himself. Instead Perkins had simply spun and fired. He felt helpless now, between his wrist and leg. His instinct was to protect Casey and now she was taking care of him.

"Where's Ezra?" He whispered, as Casey brushed his hair out of his face.

"In the closet," Casey frowned when he shivered. "What are we going to do JD?"

"Wait." The young agent turned his head looking from the closet to Perkins then back to Casey. "They'll come get us," he promised her with confidence. "Just be ready for anything."

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Ezra paused for a moment finishing his detailed description of the dining hall. He'd given the team everything he knew from the number of guards inside to the location of the side room where the children were being kept. Shifting around he managed to dig his zippo lighter from his pocket.

"Now, let's see what I have to work with." He knew that in order to give he team an opportunity to succeed on moving in, it would be up to him to create an adequate diversion. Preferring to avoid a physical altercation with an armed man twice his size, he flicked the lighter on and hoped to find something useful. An assortment of bottles illuminated amongst some mops and brooms. It was an old metal dustpan stabbing at his back he discovered. Reaching for one bottle he flipped the zippo closed to preserve fluid. Uncapping the plastic jug, he sniffed lightly. "Bleach," he muffled a cough. He waited a moment hoping he hadn't caught anyone's attention before continuing. Grabbing the next bottle he sniffed again and gagged.

"Oh good Ezra, knock yourself out. That'll be helpful," he cursed and set the ammonia down at his side away from the bottle of bleach, then went on with his search.

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"What the hell is he doing?" Buck asked as they listened.

"Looking for a distraction," Vin answered, before turning to Chris and asking, "How do you want us to go in?"

Chris reached for Nathan's sketch of the layout and then looked down at the camp. The sun was setting quickly and he knew they had a limited time span before dark.

He noticed Agent Barry looking up at him. Ignoring the concern he saw in the other man's features, he turned back to his men. "Okay, we have Perkins plus 10 staffers to deal with. Vin and Buck you two will go in behind the dining hall. Take out any guards and get to the children's room. Ezra thinks there might be one guy guarding the kitchen exit about here," he pointed to the spot he referred to, "and one woman in with the children. Careful with her, we don't want screaming kids broadcasting our arrival."

"Larabee," Chris spun around at the sound of Barry's voice.

"What do you want Payton?" He growled, determined the man was not going to stop him.

"How many men do you need going in?" Their eyes met for moment before Chris answered.

"Four. I need Josiah out here to let us know what Ezra's doing and I also need someone to take care of the guys at the gate."

Barry nodded. "I'll take care of it."

"Send them up here so I can fill them in. Oh and get them into something less obvious." He referred to the jackets bearing the large yellow FBI labels.

Barry started back down the hillside.

"Payton?" The agent turned. "Thank you," With a curt nod Chris turned back to the plan. "Nathan you and one of Barry's men will take west side, opposite Buck and Vin. Work you way around the perimeter once you get through the fence. You should run into three guards. Neutralize them. I'll take the other agent and cut around behind Buck and Vin. "

"What do we do once we're in and the perimeter guards are taken care of?" Nathan asked.

"Stay low and wait for what ever Ezra is planning. Josiah I want you to relay everything he says. He can't hear us so we need to be ready when he is."

"Agent Larabee?" Four FBI agents approached, introduced themselves and listened as Chris filled them in.

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Ezra took a deep breath pushing back a recurring flash of panic and weighed his options one more time. Whatever he decided the choice was definitely a gamble. Mixing bleach and ammonia was not an option and there was nothing available for creating a delayed reaction. He ran the assortment of cleaning supplies through his mind again. The best he could come up with didn't give him much opportunity to get out of harms way. His only other choice was to risk a hand to hand with Justin. Part of him was confident he could take the younger man down, but his self -preserving nature was quick to remind him that one shot from Perkins or the other guard would put an end to his efforts.

Feeling for the bottles he had placed to his left he made his choice. "I certainly hope someone's listening," he whispered, flicking his zippo to see what time it was. There was only twenty minutes left of their second hour.

"Okay boys, I'm giving you ten minutes to move into place then I'll do my best to provide an adequate distraction."

Josiah relayed the message to the three teams already making their way towards the retreat. Dusk had fallen and agents hurried to set up generators to run imported lights and heaters. Peering through his binoculars, Josiah watched the teams' progress. In their hunting camouflage it was hard to spot them but knowing where they were headed helped. Vin and Buck were the easiest to see, being closer then the rest.

It hadn't taken Vin long to cut through the perimeter fence and move inside. From his vantage point Josiah could see Buck easily subdue the one guard along the back of the dining hall. The preacher smiled to himself sure that 'subdue' was not the appropriate word for Buck's action. Vin and Buck kept low to the ground as they hurried around the end of the building. Moments later Buck was back at the fence with five small children. The big man ushered the kids through the fence and gently handed the FBI agent waiting there the baby he carried. Once the children were safely beyond the fence, Buck turned back and disappeared around the building again. Josiah checked his watch and held his breath, listening for Ezra. It was almost time.

With great care Ezra began to pour his set aside ingredients into the metal bucket. He had no way of measuring correct amounts or of really knowing if the whole concoction would actually work, but he was committed now.

He murmured to himself, as he mixed the powder and solutions. " Borax... ammonia...vinegar..." He wrinkled his nose wondering how anyone could clean with vinegar. He hated the smell. "And a dash of silver polish just to liven things up." He poured in most of the bottle of polish. Leaning as far away from the bucket as possible in the cramped closet he flicked his lighter and checked the time. This was it.

He ran a hand over his face preparing himself. "Okay gentlemen, it's now or never. I certainly hope you can hear me," he said out loud and started pounding on the door.

"Let me out!" He hollered. "Perkins get me out of here!"

JD jumped, as Ezra began his tirade against the closet door and winced as he jarred his leg.

Perkins scowled in the direction of the closet. "Guess Dr. Harrington finally woke up." He looked at Justin. "See what he wants." He moved closer to the closet holding his gun loosely in his grip.

Ezra waited hoping he was right about where everyone was positioned. "Help, somebody!" He flipped the lighter open his finger poised on the striker. He blinked against the light as Justin opened the door and quickly scrambled to his feet, ignoring the protests of his numb legs.

"Whadya want?" Justin asked harshly.

"Out," Ezra said simply. He grabbed Justin at the same time he flicked the lighter. Stepping forward and spinning himself so that he now faced the closet and the stunned Justin, he tossed the lit zippo into the bucket.

The flash was instantaneous and bigger then Ezra had expected. The closet door tore from its hinges and caught him, as Justin screamed and was ripped from his grasp. He was aware of the door's impact, heat and the sudden sensation of flying before he crashed into darkness.

Flames immediately consumed the closet's contents, quickly feeding off the other chemicals. There was a second and third explosion as cans of spray paint ignited.

The initial explosion knocked Perkins to the floor. He staggered to his feet to see Justin rolling along the floor frantically trying to extinguish his burning clothes. Perkins cowered at the second and third explosions, shocked at the turn of events. He turned towards the hostages, but looked directly into the barrel of a gun.

"Drop it," Chris hissed at the professor.

Perkins dropped his gun staring in disbelief at the FBI agents pouring into the building. They rushed around, fighting the fire and rushing the hostages out.

"My baby!" A woman screamed trying to pull away from one agent. Vin caught her by the arm assuring that her child was safe.

Once Chris had turned Perkins over to Barry, he moved to where Nathan knelt beside JD. A dozen FBI agents were working on the fire with extinguishers trying to keep it under control, while everyone got out of the building. Paramedics from the waiting ambulances were making their way in.

"How're you doing kid?" Buck was asking over Nathan's shoulder, as the former medic checked JD's leg.

JD smiled weakly, "Been Better. You mind getting us out of here before the place burns down?"

Buck's eyes twinkled as he winked at Casey. "Suppose we could see to that. Where's Ezra?"

JD's expression filled with panic. "Oh God, he's not with you? He was right there at the closet when it exploded."

"We'll find him JD I'm sure he's fine," Chris reassured stepping out of the way for the paramedics.

"Larabee!" He spun to see a FBI agent waving him closer to the fire.

"Ezra!" He heard Vin's voice behind him, as he hurried toward the agent.

The Agent stood pointing to the closet door now scorched and covered with debris. Chris carefully helped the other man move the door. The stench of chemicals from the fire was almost over powering.

They found Ezra sprawled unconscious on a smashed table. His hair was singed and Chris could see burns on his hands.

"Ezra?" There was no response, as he knelt beside the southerner and apprehensively searched his neck for a pulse.

"Nathan!" He called over his shoulder. Vin was motioning for the team of paramedics. Relief filled Chris as Ezra's eyes fluttered open.

"Glad you could make it, Mr. Larabee," he whispered as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

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It had been a week since the standoff. Ezra stood back and watched as Buck, Nathan and Josiah got JD settled onto the couch in Buck and JD's loft.

"Welcome home, JD," Chris said, handing the younger agent another pillow.

"Thanks Chris." JD smiled, glad to finally be home.

"You going to join the rest of us or stand over here by the door all night?" Vin startled Ezra.

"I hate it when you do that Mr. Tanner."

"I know." Vin grinned, as they moved into the living room with the others.

Gradually the seven men settled, snacking on junk food and watching a foot ball game on ESPN.

"How was your physical therapy today?" Nathan asked breaking the comfortable silence and reaching for a bag of chips off the coffee table.

"That woman is evil! " JD groaned. "I swear she's the devil."

"Cutest devil I ever saw," Buck grinned.

"Yeah, well you don't have her mauling you every day either."

Buck couldn't believe the kid had just handed him that line. "Don't think I'd mind…"

"Don't even say it Buck!" Vin interrupted.

"What?" Buck tried to look innocent, but was rewarded with a stray pillow upside his head. "Hey now!" The laughter settled some.

"How's Casey doing now?" Josiah asked. They all knew the girl had been struggling with the whole situation.

"She'll be okay. Thought it was all her fault everything happened. She actually thought I was mad at her for making me go, and then not believing at first that Perkins was warped," JD answered, his gaze settling on Ezra. "Until someone reassured her and told her to talk to me about it. Now she's fine."

Ezra looked up to see everyone watching him. "I assure you I have no idea what you are referring to," he protested.

"Sure Ez," JD laughed. "Thanks anyway."

Ezra nodded once.

"How are your hands Ez?" Josiah asked him.

"Excellent actually. I'm suffering no ill effects from the entire incident."

Chris raised an eyebrow "None?"

"None," the southerner answered with ease.

"I still can't believe you only got first degree burns on your hands and a bump on your head." Nathan shook his head. "Doctor told me you were fortunate not to have some severe injuries. That kid Justin is in for a long stay at the burn center."

Ezra frowned, feeling slight remorse at Justin's fate. They hadn't found out until this week that it was Justin who called in the tip, saving the other ATF agent's life.

"Perkins on the other hand, will have a rather lengthy stay in prison." Buck brought Ezra back to the conversation. "They charged him with I don't know how many counts of kidnapping and assault on three federal agents. You should have seen the look on that man's face when he found out Ezra wasn't 'Dr. Harrington'."

Buck was laughing. "He was still asking if there was really a book when they dragged him away."

"Brother you were convincing," Josiah told Ezra.

"Just well researched."

Chris watched his team interact; thankful they were all here. JD would be in rehab for awhile, slowed down by his wrist. Until that was healed and strengthened the kid was stuck in a wheelchair. There'd been no complications so far, though, and Chris knew JD tended to heal fast. It wouldn't be long until he'd be nagging to get back to work against the doctor's orders.

Ezra was a different story. Physically the southerner was fine but Chris worried about the claustrophobia. He could still hear Ezra's frantic breathing as he had fought against the panic while in the closet. He knew Ezra was slowly gaining control of his fear but Chris could still see the signs now. He noticed the little things like the drivers side window on the jaguar Ezra drove was always down at least an inch, no matter the weather. Things like the white knuckled grip Ezra always had whenever he stepped into the office elevator. Ezra would never bring up his struggle and so far Chris hadn't come up with any way to broach the subject, instead he continued to silently watch and curse Kara for the effects she was still having on his team.

"What made you decide to burn half the place down anyway Ezra?" He heard Nathan ask. "Wasn't that a bit risky?"

"At the time Mr. Jackson, I was considering more the fact that the rest of you needed an adequate distraction in order to catch Perkins off guard."

"It was adequate," Chris grinned and reached for a beer.

"What did you use for the explosion?" JD had been bugging Ezra the entire week to know what he'd used to start the fire. He decided to give in.

"I'll tell you if you promise not to try it. Deal?"

"Deal!" JD nodded, his eyes dancing excitedly.

"It was just a combination of a few basic household cleaners. Ammonia, Borax and some vinegar."

"People clean with vinegar?" JD interrupted.

"Lots of folks consider it safer then harsher chemicals like bleach," Nathan answered and motioned for Ezra to continue.

"I added a secret ingredient for good measure then simply lit the mixture," Ezra smiled mischievously.

"Come on Ezra," JD pleaded.

"That would be silver polish," Josiah grinned at Ezra. "You talk while you work brother."

Over the laughter Chris' eyes met Vin's, a look passed between the two, an understanding that things were going to be okay now.

"So where did you learn that little trick Ez?" Buck asked sipping his beer.

"Buck my friend, you don't get thrown out of as many boarding schools as I did by merely mouthing off."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it! You know I can remember borrowing the anarchist's cookbook and a bunch of similar material from a friend to figure out a realistic combination of chemicals for the explosion in this story! I suppose now I could just google it but least the old way didn't get me put on anyone's watch list!


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